Journalism student with a passion for learning, leading & creating.

Spoiled Shows

Last Sunday, the second episode in the fourth season of Game of Thrones ran on HBO. The show has gathered fans from all corners of the globe, and its popularity is unparalleled. But with that popularity comes leaking secrets, especially with big news, like in the latest episode (which, for everyone’s sake, I won’t reveal here).

Also, just a heads up for everyone reading: I will not be spoiling anything in this post, but I can’t guarantee anything for other articles I link to.

GoT’s Purple Wedding episode caused explosions among fans. For those who read the books, this was pretty stellar – and many different sites compiled some of the public’s best reactions (like the 55 best Twitter reactions by Mashable). But many fans, who either watch episodes later in the week or are still catching up from previous seasons, quickly learned of the big event that occurred at the end of the episode.

Why We Watch

We like TV shows because they are essentially stories. Humans love to suspend their reality and immerse themselves in a different world. And for the most part, they like to move through that world at their own pace – or at the pace of the show. There are tons of different conversations surrounding why humans are drawn to TV, but in its simplest form, it’s because we are naturally curious creatures. The storylines in television get our hearts pumping and adrenaline running in both exciting and stressful situations. ABC’s Sydney Lupkin wrote an article on why we watch stressful TV shows – and it’s because we’re drawn to that rush that comes with connecting with the characters we observe.

Why We Spoil

With the adrenaline and excitement that comes with watching a new episode, there’s also the excitement of talking to others about it. Friends, family, communities on the internet, total strangers … we love communication. We love analyzing those stories and why they affect us in the way they do. The internet has become the main hub for talking about TV shows, especially “live-tweeting” or “live-blogging” events or episodes right as they’re airing. Often, big events are just too good not to talk about.

And if you’re not sure how to NOT spoil shows for your friends and family, check out this handy dandy article on how to avoid spoiling TV shows for everyone around you.